Mud City Press

THE LANE COUNTY COMMONS

We live in challenging times. Concern for the unknowns of climate change, the predictable depletion of petroleum, and the uneasy financial foundation of our global economy have put us all on guard. To some extent we really don't know what the future holds–not even in the short-term. For that reason, it makes sense to verify and strengthen our own self-reliance by relocalizing, by decoupling somewhat from the whim of global trends, and doing what we can to rebuild economic integrity within our own locale.

More than the Sum of the Parts

More than the Sum of the Parts

Relocalized Community Economics

OVERVIEW: Over the last twenty-five years, the globalization of the market place has expanded trade with a rich and diverse new array of products and product sources; however, it has been at the cost of regional economic balance and resilience, especially at the local level. In light of concerns for peaking oil production and global financial market volatility, relocalizing the regional economic system, especially in the food sector, makes a tremendous amount of sense right now.

Lane County residents will spend one billion dollars on food in 2009. Ninety percent of the proceeds will go out of state. This is radically out of balance with the natural resources available in this valley. We could be keeping as much as a third of those food dollars home. Decoupling from the global system somewhat, growing our own food, and investing in local enterprise is an effective way to achieve a measure of economic autonomy in Lane County.

One of the central goals of the Lane County Commons will be to provide a community base for local enterprise and investment, facilitated by public and private partnerships. Because the project will create as many as one hundred new jobs at the fairgrounds site, provide external revenue streams from the fairgrounds' reconstruction, and generate internal revenue streams from its operation, funds for the start-up should be viewed as a multi-dimensional stimulus for community economic development. While the operational focus will be on the promotion of regional agriculture through a year-round farmers' market and a minimum processing, food storage and distribution warehouse, the fairgrounds' campus will also provide space for local crafts shops, light industry incubation, restaurants, lodging, education, and all manner of community events and engagements.

In sum, the Fairgrounds Repair Project is a community-based effort to convert a piece of publicly owned property, which is struggling to make ends meet, into a community resource and economic generator. In these times of financial uncertainty, what could possibly be better than picking ourselves up by our own boot straps?

IMPLEMENTATION: The economic plan for the Lane County Commons can be broken down into four main categories: financing the initial start-up and repair, integration of community sponsors and partnerships, operational income streams, and local enterprise leases.

1. Financing the Project Start-up: The Lane County Commons will require approximately thirty million dollars for repair and construction costs to be spread out over a five-year period of staged start-up and development. (See Cost Estimates.) This cost will be a challenging sum in the current economic climate; however, by making this a community project and widening the base of investment, both the costs and the returns can be shared among many players, public and private, large and small.

  1. It will be necessary to have the county and/or the city sponsor a revenue bond and/or federal grant applications for some significant portion of start-up costs. The recent federal stimulus package has targeted Oregon with several million dollars for infrastructure repair, green jobs, and renewable energy opportunities. The Fairgrounds Repair Project addresses all three of these stimulus sectors and should easily qualify for a portion of this new federal money, while also attracting nationwide attention to Oregon for leading-edge green development and application. In addition to the potential for Federal stimulus money, the Department of Energy, the USDA, and the Department of Homeland Security have many large ongoing grant opportunities that are applicable to the Fairgrounds Repair Project.
  2. Along with direct public financial support, there will be incentives from the state, county, and city to help with cutting building costs through permit fee waivers or discounts related to the incorporation of energy saving devices or achieving LEED building standards. Every effort will be made to utilize these kinds of savings in all on-site construction or repair.
  3. Outreach to influential individuals and/or businesses in the county or state for financial assistance will also be part of the start-up funding strategy. Because of the topical relevance of this project and a growing awareness among the more fortunate in this region for sustainability issues and food security,people will want to be involved in this project; there is a high likelihood that the Lane County Commons will attract financial or material donations from wealthy citizens or businesses.
  4. As many of the individual projects at the site will involve applications that are sold by local businesses, contributions or discounted sales to the Lane County Commons will be solicited in exchange for advertisement via on-site usage and/or demonstration.
  5. The completed site, as a tourist destination, will have considerable value as a marketing entity for green technology. Because of this, outreach to private individuals and businesses outside the state will also be included in the start-up financing strategy. The use and demonstration of alternative technologies at the site will have the potential to inspire contributions, financial or material, from national companies interested in using the site as a way to promote their products to a targeted audience.
  6. Like-minded businesses, individuals, or non-profit organizations will be solicited for material donations, volunteer labor, and fund-raising.
  7. Art work sponsorship, name plates, or sponsor lists will also be part of the initial gathering of community resources, large and small, for this project.

2. Integrating Community Sponsors and Partnerships: Community involvement through partners and sponsors will be a central facet of operations at the Lane County Commons during construction and after completion. While the most obvious partnerships are with the City of Eugene and Lane County through before mentioned revenue bond initiatives or Federal grant opportunities, there are innumerable other public and private entities from businesses to schools to neighborhoods that can benefit from partnerships with the Fairgrounds Repair Project. A list of existing and potential partners and their relationships with the Fairgrounds Repair Project are complied at Community Partners.

3. Operational Income Streams: The Lane County Commons will maintain, increase, and/or create new sources of direct and indirect income through rentals, sales, and opportunities for cost reductions.

  1. Current operational income streams from existing buildings will continue or be improved. Rentals fees for the usage of the Events Center will remain an important income source. Improvements to the Wheeler Pavilion, the Ice Rink, and the Auditorium will increase these buildings' use and their rental income.
  2. The Whole System Recycling Program will generate income through the sale of recycled materials and soil created by the composting of waste. As part of the recycling program, the Lane County Commons will provide recyclable or compostable plates, cups, and eating utensils to all vendors at the campus. These utensils will be bought by the Lane County Commons in large quantities at discount prices and then sold to event vendors with a modest markup and profit. The recycling program's waste program will also reduce operation costs by eliminating the need to have waste hauled away, creating and selling soil amendments, and using manure and other wet garbage from the site to generate energy through methane digestion or other bio-energetic sources.
  3. The addition of a fruit tree nursery, green house, and seed bank will generate income by the sale of starts, seeds, and plants to the public. These programs will be supervised by and create income for the OSU Extension Service.
  4. Alternative technologies, including PV panels, solar water heating, wind power, passive heating and cooling design, ground source heat potentials, and the before mentioned creation of energy through waste streams, will result in a significant overall energy cost savings and possible green energy credit reimbursements.

4. Local Enterprise Leases: In addition to event rental fees, the Lane County Commons will feature a variety of long-term rental and lease opportunities for local businesses.

  1. The year-round indoor farmers' market and minimum processing, food storage and distribution warehouse will produce income from fees for market vendor stalls, short-term food storage, and processing, plus a percentage from gross sales. The indoor market will also lease space to several anchor businesses, such as a bakery, a wine bar, a farmers' diner, a juice bar, a meat market, a dairy, and a fish market.
  2. A Regional Agricultural Center will replace the existing OSU Extension Service office building. This new facility will be a steady source of income through office space leases and/or rental fees. These offices will be prioritized for government services or organizations related to agriculture or sustainability.
  3. In the latter stages of the five-year development program, and as funds allow, the Exhibit Halls along the north bank of the Amazon Creek will be replaced by a three-story walking mall, hotel, and piazza for local businesses. The first floor will include rental spaces for small shops or value-added industries. One hundred rooms for fairgrounds visitors will be incorporated into the second and third floors of the walking mall. This lodging will serve as a year-round hostel and eco-workshop hosting center and be prioritized for, but not limited to, those attending events at the Lane County Commons. All of these uses will include rental or lease fees.